Pac-12 bows out of NCAA tournament

The Sweet 16 hurdle proved to be too steep for the Pac-12, which is no longer involved in the NCAA tournament.

No. 6 seed Arizona lost 73-70 on Thursday to No. 2 seed Ohio State.

And on Friday No. 12 seed Oregon was the last team in the conference to fall. The Ducks fell 77-69 to No. 1 overall seed Louisville. Coach Dana Altmantold the Oregonian: “We buried ourselves and could never get it back.”

AROUND THE PAC-12:

— In case you missed it, Ken Bone is returning to Washington State for a fifth season. He has a 70-65 record in his four seasons with two last-place finishes in the conference.

— WSU athletic director Bill Moostold the Spokesman-Review: “I really feel that Ken Bone can coach. What remains to be seen, in some regards, is our ability to recruit and attract top players.” Moos also talked about improving the sagging attendance at Beasley Coliseum.

— UCLA freshman guard Kyle Anderson is staying in school and will not enter his name in the NBA draft. With Larry Drew II graduating, Anderson is expected to take over the point guard duties next seasons.

— UCLA list of candidates appears to be shrinking. Virginia Commonwealth’s Shaka Smart reportedly turned down the job. Former UCLA assistant Mark Gottfried said he’s staying at North Carolina State.

— St. John’s coach Steve Lavin, who coached at UCLA, lampooned the Bruins coaching search. He said school officials had Ben Howland ready to replace him six months before he was fired.

— You can read a story or watch a video of Oregonian columnist John Canzano talking about Altman, who is building something special in Eugene, Ore. In three years, he’s taking the Ducks to the CBI, the NIT and Sweet 16. The trajectory is certainly pointing up.